Category: Radio Highlight

Spinning Back Clique: McGregor’s pre-existing injuries, Makhachev vs. Ferguson, Tate’s second run, and more

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” where the panel discusses the hottest topics in the world of MMA.

Check out the latest edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a quick spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week, our panel weighs in on [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s claims of a pre-existing injury and exactly what the UFC and Nevada Athletic Commission knew ahead of UFC 264. Also, the guys take a look at what’s next for Islam Makhachev, Miesha Tate, Jeremy Stephens, and more.

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Nolan King, Danny Segura, Brian “Goze” Garcia, discuss these topics and more along with host John Morgan.

  • A week after UFC 264 and Conor McGregor is still making headlines after his claims of a pre-existing injury to his lower left leg. The former champ-champ believes that’s what led to his leg break in the trilogy fight against [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], but what did the Nevada Athletic Commission and the UFC know about the injuries before the fight took place?
  • [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] competed against Thiago Moises in his first main event at UFC on ESPN 26. After picking up a dominant submission victory, he’s ready for big names in the lightweight division, turning his focus on Tony Ferguson, largely due to the history between his mentor and teammate, Khabib Nurmagmedov. Does this fight make sense for both parties?
  • [autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag] made waves in her return to the cage at UFC on ESPN 26 after a nearly five-year absence from competition. The layoff didn’t seem to affect her performance all that much as she finished Marion Reneau in the third round with a TKO. She made it clear she’s hunting for a title in her second run, but is it possible? How far away is she from a crack at regaining the bantamweight title?
  • [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] was also in action at UFC on ESPN 26 but lost quickly via submission to [autotag]Mateus Gamrot[/autotag]. Stephens wants to return to action quickly, but given his current losing skid, will his next fight be in the UFC or under another banner? If his next fight isn’t with the UFC, which promotion would be the best landing spot?
  • At a press conference last week, [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] claims he has more on the line against [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] in their upcoming boxing match. Is it true that a young Youtuber-turned-boxer has more on the line than the former UFC welterweight champion?
  • Lastly, the panel takes a look at the return of “The Ultimate Fighter” and gives their season grades thus far. Does it make sense to continue with this format with Dana White’s Contender Series as well?

Hope you enjoy this week’s show, Watch the full episode of “Spinning Back Clique” above.

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Video: How should the UFC’s top welterweights be matched up for their next fights?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel plays matchmaker in the UFC’s welterweight division.

The top of the UFC’s welterweight division is a tough puzzle to solve when trying to determine the best matchups going forward.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] is the current king of the division, but who should be next to challenge for his throne? With many worth contenders like [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag], [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], and [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag], what makes the most sense for the division?

Edwards is currently on a streak of nine wins with one no contest. Covington is coming off a win over former champion [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag], but he hasn’t been as active as his peers. Burns just defeated [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] at UFC 264, but how much more work does he need to do to earn another crack at the title? Where does the BMF title winner [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] stand in all of this?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of George Garcia, Matthew Wells, Nolan King, and host John Morgan play matchmaker for the division.

You can watch the discussion in the video above, or check out this week’s full episode below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJYTAMPAYfY

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Video: Was bringing in Kris Moutinho to face Sean O’Malley at UFC 264 the right move?

Our Spinning Back Clique discusses if bringing in Kris Moutinho to face Sean O’Malley on short notice was the right call for UFC 264.

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] found himself needing an opponent on short notice ahead of UFC 264.

Once word was out that Louis Smolka was out of their scheduled bout, there was no shortage of current UFC fighters raising their hands to step in and take the fight.

However, the UFC decided to bring in [autotag]Kris Moutinho[/autotag] to make his UFC debut to kick off a huge pay-per-view event. Was the right choice made here or should the promotion have gone with another opponent for O’Malley?

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Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian Garcia, and Nolan King weighed in with host John Morgan in this week’s episode to discuss the decision to bring in a UFC newcomer for a big opportunity.

You can watch the discussion above or check out the full episode below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5n8iRPY4H8

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Video: Who should Fedor Emelianenko fight in his Bellator return?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses who Fedor Emelianenko should face when he returns to action later this year.

[autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] is set to make his return to the cage.

Bellator announced last weekend that the legendary heavyweight will compete for the first time in nearly two years. While the announcement included a date and location for the fight, an opponent has not yet been determined.

Should it be someone he’s already faced? Would he be interested in getting one back on the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Matt Mitrione, or Antonio Silva?

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“The Last Emperor” has a lot of intriguing options, but which is the best choice?

That’s where we come in. Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Nolan King, and Matthew Wells weigh in on potential opponents along with host John Morgan.

You can watch the discussion above or check out the full episode below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kAJueTK9ws

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Spinning Back Clique: Fedor’s return, PFL season grades, Usman-Diaz beef, stories of 2021

Check out the latest edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” giving a quick spin on Emelianenko’s return, Usman and Diaz’s Twitter beef, and more.

Check out the latest edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a quick spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week, our panel weighs in on [autotag]Cyril Gane[/autotag]’s place in the heavyweight division, Kamaru Usman and Nate Diaz’s Twitter exchange, PFL’s regular season grade, who Fedor Emelianenko should face in his return, and more. Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Nolan King, and Matthew Wells weighed in with host John Morgan.

  • This past Saturday, UFC heavyweight contender Ciryl Gane defeated Alexander Volkov in the main event at UFC Fight Night 190. Only nine fights into his professional career, is it time to put him in a title fight now?
  • UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] ended up in an unexpected Twitter beef. It appeared the champ would be open to a matchup with Stockton’s scrapper. Diaz’s star power is strong, but how would it look if this fight actually came together?
  • The PFL wrapped up its 2021 regular season this past week, and a few big names and former champions failed to make the playoffs this season. Although there were some exciting moments during the season, a lot of expected names are out of the mix. The panel gives their grade for the regular season.
  • Bellator made a huge announcement last weekend, revealing that [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] will return to action in October for a fight to take place in Russia. We know when and where, but who is the right person to take on the heavyweight legend in his return to the cage?
  • With the biggest promotions in the sport idle this coming weekend, we take a look back over the first six months of 2021 to determine the biggest story of the year so far.

Hope you enjoy this week’s show. Watch the full episode of “Spinning Back Clique” above.

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Max Griffin excited for ‘wonderful opportunity’ against Carlos Condit, plans ‘masterpiece’ at UFC 264

Max Griffin is oozing confidence ahead of perhaps the biggest fight of his career.

[autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] is oozing confidence ahead of perhaps the biggest fight of his career.

Griffin (17-8 MMA, 5-6 UFC) got his wish and will be taking on former UFC interim welterweight champion [autotag]Carlos Condit[/autotag] (32-13 MMA, 9-9 UFC) at UFC 264 on July 10, and he intends on fully capitalizing on the opportunity of facing a notable name.

“I’m pumped,” Griffin told MMA Junkie Radio. “Wonderful experience, wonderful time, wonderful opportunity. I’ve actually wanted to fight Carlos since I was young, since I was a kid, so to get this fight now, when I finally figured everything out, it’s amazing.”

He continued, “When I used to watch him in WEC, I used to watch him walk around the cage, mean-mugging the camera, and I remember being like, ‘I want to fight that guy.’ Now it’s come full circle. I have nothing but respect for him, legend of the sport. He’s going to be a hall of famer. He’s been there, done that with the best of them – former champion. It’s my time, though. All that stuff’s out the window now. It’s my time.”

Griffin has strung together his first winning streak since joining the UFC roster in August 2016, coming off back-to-back stoppage wins over Ramiz Brahimaj and, most recently, a “Performance of the Night” knockout of Song Kenan and is certain that UFC 264 will be his best showing to date.

“I’m adding new things, but my stuff’s working,” Griffin said. “My recipe is working. Yeah, I’m adding new things, but what I’m doing is working, it’s effective. I feel like ‘Salt Bae’ now. My recipe’s good, I’m throwing the stuff on top, and it’s going to be a masterpiece. July 10 will be my next greatest performance to date, I promise you. I have no doubts, 100 percent confidence.”

Video: What’s the point of rules if they’re not enforced?

Warnings are fine, but rules aren’t supposed to be just suggestions.

This past Saturday at UFC on ESPN 25, [autotag]Nicolae Negumereanu[/autotag] was warned multiple times by referee Mike Beltran – quite sternly, we might add – about grabbing the cage in his light heavyweight bout with Aleksa Camur, but ultimately no points were deducted.

The result? Negumereanu salvaged a split decision victory thanks to the multiple no-calls. Had a point been taken, the final result would have been a draw – and Negumereanu wouldn’t have earned the second half of his paycheck for winning.

Now, nobody likes draws, and nobody wants to have money taken from fighters, but rules are rules. But should referees be quicker to issue deductions when rules are repeatedly broken? Otherwise, what is the point?  Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Nolan King, Danny Segura and Matthew Wells weighed in with host John Morgan in this week’s episode.

You can watch the discussion in the video above or check out the full episode below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_55BAGMDmg

UFC 263 live-streaming watch-along with MMA Junkie Radio

Join MMA Junkie Radio hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a watch-along of UFC 263 headlined by Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori.

UFC 263 takes place Saturday with two title-fight rematches and the return of one of MMA’s biggest stars, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live streaming watch-along above, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.

In the main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] runs it back with [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] three years after winning a split decision. In the co-headliner, flyweight champion [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] puts his title on the line for the second time against [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] after they previously fought to a draw last December. Also featured on the main card, [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] returns after 19 months to take on top welterweight contender [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] in the UFC’s first five-round bout not a title fight or main event.

UFC 263 takes place at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Here are the nine fights included in the watch-along:

  • Champ Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori – for middleweight title
  • Champ Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno – for flyweight title
  • Nate Diaz vs. Leon Edwards
  • Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad
  • Paul Craig vs. Jamahal Hill
  • Drew Dober vs. Brad Riddell
  • Eryk Anders vs. Darren Stewart
  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Lauren Murphy
  • Hakeem Dawodu vs. Movsar Evloev

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Aaron Pico won’t look too far ahead or underestimate ‘tricky’ Aiden Lee at Bellator 260

Learning to “stay in the process” of preparing for each fight is what helped Aaron Pico have a big 2020 and what he continues to focus on.

Just a few months shy of his 25th birthday, [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag]’s professional MMA career already has been a rollercoaster.

One of the most highly touted prospects in the sport’s history, Pico has shown moments of brilliance, but he’s also had devastating setbacks that saw him get knocked out in back-to-back fights, bringing his overall record to 4-3 at one point.

But now, after going 3-0 in 2020 with three finishes, Pico (7-3 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) has learned to pump the brakes and enjoy the process. He takes on [autotag]Aiden Lee[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) next week at Bellator 260 and while he’s confident he can take out any featherweight on the roster, he’s solely focused on the task at hand.

“One thing that Greg Jackson always tells me is you gotta stay in the process and control what you can control,” Pico told MMA Junkie Radio. “For me, I gotta just stay focused on June 11. This guy is a very tough opponent. I try not to look too far into the future and say I have to do this or I want to be here, because then I’m pulling out of the process, and I guess we have to cross that bridge when it comes, but I hope I’m in a very good position God willing, and I believe I will. I believe we’re gonna get to the top.”

He continued, “He’s a tricky fighter. Yeah, he’s not ranked, but these fights, people don’t realize that they’re scary because they have nothing to lose. There’s a lot riding on it for me, but I feel like that with every fight. I don’t take any opponent lightly to be honest. Every fight I look at it, and I feel it’s a world championship fight.”

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Pico may have been just as surprised as everyone else when he suffered those losses, but he admits it was a blessing in disguise. It allowed him to reevaluate and make the necessary changes to fully live up to his potential.

“I’m only 24 and the fights that I lost, now I can beat those guys,” Pico said. “I really can. If you go back, it wasn’t like I got my ass kicked for three rounds. I just got caught, and it was just a lack of inexperience. Everything worked out for the good. I met the coaches that I have now in my corner, and yeah, a lot of people were calling me greatest prospect of all time, and I had a lot of good skill sets. I had great boxing, I had good wrestling, but I had a rude awakening early on, and I just knew that after looking at that, I was very, very green. And so being with the coaches here, I really progressed rapidly.

“I think for me, I’m surprising myself every day and how fast I’m developing and it was a blessing. I don’t really pay attention to those losses. I think those guys know that if we fought now, it’d be a different story, but hey, what could you do? Sh*t happens, and I’m not worried about that anymore. That’s the past. I’m looking onto the future, and I would take on these guys any day of the week, and I’d beat them all three in one night to be honest with you. I really would.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTSDp2muYss

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Ben Rothwell down to fight Jared Vanderaa – but says he got told ‘LOL’

More than 50 fights into his MMA career, one might think Ben Rothwell would be running out of interesting fight options.

More than 50 fights into his MMA career, one might think [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] would be running out of interesting fight options.

But the Wisconsin-based heavyweight, who will turn 40 this fall, thinks he’s got a lot of potential bookings as possibilities. But there’s one in particular he’d gladly sign on for – if only the UFC’s matchmakers would get behind it.

Rothwell (39-13 MMA, 9-7 UFC) submitted Chris Barnett (21-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 188. And later on the same card, [autotag]Jared Vanderaa[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) took a unanimous decision against Justin Tafa (4-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC).

Afterward, Vanderaa said he’d like to fight Rothwell – which is music to Rothwell’s ears.

“Vanderaa did the press conference and had my name come out of his mouth and said he wants to fight me,” Rothwell recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “He said he’d fight me or (Andrei) Arlovski, but he especially would want to fight me. Well all right – I’m especially going to try to make that fight. I don’t think it’s going to happen because I got told ‘LOL.’ But I’m down.”

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The implication from Rothwell is that UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard, if an “LOL” was offered, might not find a Rothwell-Vanderaa fight competitive, given Rothwell has three times the experience.

But Rothwell said Vanderaa, and anyone else who wants a piece of his action, should stay vocal.

“If you’re going to say my name, good,” Rothwell said. “Come try to make your name off me. I don’t give a sh*t about rankings and politics. That sh*t, I can’t control it. What I can control is wrapping my hands around you and rectifying your false sense of reality. That’s what’s going to happen.

“I’m going to push to try to get the fight to happen. I don’t know what’s going to happen though, really. You know how the UFC is. They do what they want. They’ve got a master plan. But if we could get this guy to run his mouth some more and we get the fans (interested) about it and the fans start putting the pressure on the UFC, then that fight could get made. I think that’s what we need to do.”

Beyond the possibility of a Vanderaa fight, Rothwell said the fighters in the UFC’s top 10 are new matchups for him. And though he’s 3-3 in his past six fights, he’s also won three of his past four after a three-fight skid.

Rothwell isn’t in the UFC’s top 15, but there’s no one in the top 10 he’s crossed paths with yet.

“Moving forward, I think I have a whole bunch of fresh matchups that are very exciting,” he said. “Most of the top 10 is all a fresh matchup. A lot of guys that I’ve fought have moved on or retired or (been) cut, so it’s all exciting matchups here on out. And then, as more and more of these newer guys see me as an easy fight, calling me out: awesome.

“Let’s get a little more vocal, because when I ask for you, when I talk to the UFC and ask for you, they f**king laugh at me. That’s what they think of you. … I want these guys to start speaking up now, now that I’ve got this going. Keep speaking up. There are a few of them.”

https://youtu.be/yYeR8ELEEfw

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